Starkville, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Starkville, Mississippi
City
Cotton District
Flag Seal Logo
Nickname(s):  StarkVegas, Boardtown
Location of Starkville, Mississippi
Starkville, Mississippi Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Oktibbeha
City	1835
Named for	John Stark
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council government
Area
• Total	25.62 sq mi (66.37 km2)
• Land	25.51 sq mi (66.08 km2)
• Water	0.11 sq mi (0.28 km2)
Elevation	335 ft (102 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	24,360
• Density	954.77/sq mi (368.63/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	39759-39760
Area code(s)	662
FIPS code	28-70240
GNIS feature ID	0678227
Website	City of Starkville

Starkville is a city in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States. It is also the county seat. In 2020, Starkville had a population of 24,360 people. This makes it the 16th largest city in Mississippi.

Starkville is the biggest city in an area called the Golden Triangle. This area had about 175,474 people in 2020. The city was founded in 1831. It was first known as Boardtown because of a local sawmilling business. In 1837, it was renamed Starkville to honor American Revolutionary War general John Stark.

Mississippi State University is very close to Starkville. The university was started in 1878. It was built near Starkville because the area was good for farming, especially for timber, cattle, and dairy. The university helped Starkville grow from a farming town into a college town. Today, Starkville's economy relies on advanced research, manufacturing, shops, and tourism, all supported by the university. The Cotton District is a lively area between downtown Starkville and the university. It was built in the 1960s and was one of the first "New Urbanist" communities in North America.

Discovering Starkville's Past

The area where Starkville is located has been home to people for more than 2,100 years. Old clay pot pieces and artwork from that time have been found east of Starkville. These items were found at the Herman Mound and Village site. This site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can visit the village site from the Indian Mound Campground. Early Native Americans built the earthwork mounds for their religious and political beliefs.

Before the American Revolutionary War, the Chakchiuma tribe lived in this area. They were defeated by a rare team-up between the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes.

Modern European-American settlement in Starkville began after the Choctaw people gave up their land claims in Oktibbeha County. This happened with the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830. Many Native Americans from the Southeast were forced to move west of the Mississippi River in the 1830s. This event is known as the Indian Removal.

White settlers came to the Starkville area because of two large springs. Native Americans had used these springs for thousands of years. A mill on the Big Black River made clapboards. This gave the town its first name, Boardtown. In 1835, Boardtown became the county seat of Oktibbeha County. It was then renamed Starkville to honor American Revolutionary War hero John Stark.

Modern Times in Starkville

On March 21, 2006, Starkville became the first city in Mississippi to ban smoking in indoor public places. This included restaurants and bars. This rule started on May 20, 2006.

Starkville's Location and Landscape

Starkville is located at 33°27′45″N 88°49′12″W / 33.46250°N 88.82000°W / 33.46250; -88.82000.

The United States Census Bureau says the city covers about 25.8 square miles (66.9 km²). Most of this area, 25.7 square miles (66.5 km²), is land. Only 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) is water.

Major roads that go through Starkville include US Highway 82 and Mississippi Highways 12 and 25. The closest airport with regular flights is Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR). George M. Bryan Field (KSTF) is Starkville's airport for smaller planes. There are also several private airstrips nearby.

People and Population

Montgomery Hall is one of 22 sites in Starkville listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Cooperative Creamery Station in Starkville, 1939

Population in 2020

In 2020, there were 24,360 people living in Starkville. There were 10,092 households and 4,895 families.

Population in 2010

In 2010, Starkville had 23,888 people. There were 9,845 households and 4,800 families. The city had about 936 people per square mile.

The people living in Starkville were:

• 58.5% white
• 34.06% African American
• 0.2% Native American
• 3.75% Asian
• 0.1% Pacific Islander
• 0.64% from other races
• 1.3% from two or more races
• 1.8% were Hispanic or Latino

About 24.1% of households had children under 18. About 34.1% were married couples. The average household had 2.35 people. The average family had 2.92 people.

The median age in Starkville was 25 years. This is because of the many students at Mississippi State University. About 18.8% of people were under 18. About 29.7% were between 18 and 24.

The median income for a household was $31,357. For a family, it was $40,557. About 33.6% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 29.3% of those under 18.

Religious Life

Starkville has over 80 places of worship. These places serve many different religious groups. Many students and staff from Mississippi State University, including those from other countries, have made the city more diverse.

In 2007, about half of Starkville's residents said they had a religious connection. Most of them were Christian. Of those, about 41.59% were Protestant. This included 25% Baptist and 11% Methodist. Smaller numbers of people were Catholic, Mormon, Hindu, and Muslim.

Arts and Culture

The Cotton District

The Cotton District is a neighborhood in Starkville. It was rebuilt as part of the new urbanism movement. Dan Camp started it in 1969. He was the developer and manager of much of the area. The buildings in the Cotton District look historical. They mix Greek Revival, Classical, and Victorian styles. It is a neighborhood where you can easily walk around. It has many restaurants and bars, plus thousands of unique homes.

Libraries in Starkville

The main branch of the Starkville-Oktibbeha County Public Library System is in Downtown Starkville. Besides the public library, the Mississippi State University Library has the largest collection of books in Mississippi. The Mississippi State Mitchell Memorial Library also has the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library. It also holds the Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana.

Education in Starkville

Public Schools

In 1927, the city and the Rosenwald Foundation opened two schools for African-American students. These were the Rosenwald School and the Oktibbeha County Training School. The training school later became Henderson High School. In 1970, these schools merged with the white schools due to integration. Henderson became a junior high school. The Rosenwald School was later destroyed by fire.

Before 2015, Starkville had its own school district, the Starkville School District (SSD). Oktibbeha County had a separate school district (OCSD). After integration in 1970, the districts were set up so that Starkville and mostly white areas outside the city were in SSD. The rest of Oktibbeha County, which was mostly Black, was in OCSD. Because of these differences, Oktibbeha County was under a Federal desegregation order.

Attempts to combine the two districts in the 1990s and 2010 did not work. But in 2015, the Mississippi Legislature passed a law to combine them. Many thought this would cause more white students to leave for private schools. However, the opposite happened. More white parents chose to send their children to the new combined district.

The schools still operate under a Federal desegregation order.

The following schools are part of the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District:

• Sudduth Elementary (grades K-1)
• Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary (grades 2–4)
• Overstreet Elementary (grade 5)
• Partnership Middle School (grades 6–7)
• Armstrong Junior High School (grades 8–9)
• Starkville High School (grades 10–12)
• Emerson Preschool
• Millsaps Career & Technology Center

In 2015, it was announced that the school district and Mississippi State University would create a partnership school. This school would be for all 6th and 7th grade students in Oktibbeha County. It would be located on the Mississippi State University campus. The school will help students and teachers from the university's College of Education. It will also be a special research center for rural education. Construction on the school started in spring 2017. The school opened in August 2020.

Before integration, African-American students in Starkville went to the historic Henderson High School. This school was later used as a junior high school. Now, it is an elementary school.

Private Schools

Private schools in Starkville include:

• Starkville Academy, started in 1969
• Starkville Christian School, started in 1996

Starkville Academy has been called a "segregation academy." This means it was started around the time public schools were integrating. Despite worries that combining the public school districts would make more white students go to private schools, enrollment at private schools actually went down. More white parents chose the new combined public school district.

Higher Education and Libraries

Starkville Library

Mississippi State University is partly within Starkville's city limits. It is also partly in the Mississippi State census-designated place.

East Mississippi Community College is the community college for the county. However, it does not have facilities in Starkville.

The Starkville-Oktibbeha County Public Library System manages the Starkville Library.

Media Outlets

Newspapers

• The Starkville Daily News
• The Reflector (MSU Student Newspaper)
• The Starkville Dispatch (a local version of The Commercial Dispatch)

Radio Stations

• WMSV (Mississippi State Radio Station)
• WMAB (Public Radio)
• WMSU
• WQJB
• WMXU
• WJZB
• WSMS
• WSSO (WSSO was Starkville's first radio station, starting in 1949)

Television Stations

• WCBI
• WTVA
• WLOV-TV

Magazines

• Town and Gown Magazine

Notable People from Starkville

See also

In Spanish: Starkville (Misisipi) para niños